After losing their 10th straight home game on Tuesday night, matching a record set just last year, the Royals headed for Kansas City's downtown airport for their short charter flight to St. Louis. But the plane had mechanical difficulties and a replacement wasn't immediately available.

Fortunately, senior director of team travel Jeff Davenport was able to quickly secure two buses to get players, staff and broadcasting personnel to St. Louis.

"Davvy was right on point, man," pitcher James Shields said.

Instead of a 43-minute flight, though, there was a four-hour bus ride from Cowtown to the Gateway Arch.

"There were no options," manager Ned Yost said. "It was either send everybody home [and fly in the morning] or get on the bus. We figured out a way to get two buses there and it was like a Minor League trip."

Now, the Royals know quite well why this intrastate rivalry is called the I-70 Series.

"We got see Aaron Crow's stomping grounds," Shields said, noting the bus went right through Columbia where Crow pitched for the University of Missouri.

Instead of arriving shortly after midnight by air, they got in about 4 a.m. CT by bus.

"It's just the way it's going," Yost said. "The hits just keep comin'."